DEMAIO’S ACT OF STATESMANSHIP

In a better world, Carl DeMaio would have been elected mayor last November.

We would not have seen the vicious gay-bashing and vile rumors that were used in that campaign to drag down the then-Republican councilman. We wouldn’t have seen Democratic officials keep quiet after being told by wholly credible sources about Bob Filner’s horrible behavior with women. And San Diego would now be led by a smart policy innovator who in just one term on the City Council had more effect on the city’s course than many previous mayors.

Instead, Filner was elected, and his groping and bullying soon returned San Diego to its past role as national punch line. After Filner’s scandals forced him to resign Aug. 30, the temptation had to be immense for DeMaio to jump in the special mayoral election to fill the vacancy.

Instead, in an act of mature statesmanship, the former management consultant from Rancho Bernardo chose Tuesday to put his party and his city first by continuing with his promising 2014 congressional campaign against first-term Democratic Rep. Scott Peters.

This guarantees that Peters will face a strong challenger — one who will make him explain his refusal to join those who want to repeal the Obamacare nightmare bearing down on the nation, and one who will make Peters defend the failed Democratic orthodoxy that using borrowed money to subsidize “green” industries is the best way to create jobs, not cutting taxes and regulations hampering the private sector.

DeMaio’s decision not to enter the mayor’s race also almost certainly clears the Republican field for Councilman Kevin Faulconer, helping him escape the GOP bickering that targeted DeMaio before the 2012 primary and was used against him by Filner in the 2012 general election. This will make Faulconer a stronger candidate against Nathan Fletcher, the used-car salesman who went from being a Reagan Republican to a noble, nonpartisan independent to a union Democrat in just 14 months. It will make Faulconer a stronger candidate against David Alvarez or Marti Emerald, if someone who’s been a Democrat for more than a few news cycles gets in the race.

DeMaio wasn’t the only city leader to act in selfless fashion on Tuesday. Acting Mayor Todd Gloria’s decision to skip the mayor’s race also falls into that category. It will allow Gloria to proceed with cleaning up after Filner without electoral motives being read into all of his actions.

Still, DeMaio’s decision was far more wrenching and difficult. We have no doubt he would be an outstanding congressman — a dynamo fighting for a new sort of GOP that focuses like a laser on job creation and economic growth and downplays divisive social issues. But DeMaio burned to be mayor — the guy in charge, not one man in a crowd. He believes that combining his encyclopedic knowledge of how City Hall works with his management expertise could turn San Diego into a model of efficient governance. We believe that as well.

This mayoral election, at least, DeMaio won’t get that chance. But he made the right decision — both for those who want positive change in Washington and in San Diego.

Simply stated, DeMaio put his community before self and should be sincerely congratulated.